Electric regulator.



J. L. CREVELING.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.I6,1910.

1,255,71 3. Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. CBEVELING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SAFETY CAR HEATING AND LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. CREVELING, a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Regulators, as set forth in the annexed s ecification and drawing, forming a part t ereof.

My invention pertains to that class of electric regulators wherein it is desired to regulate an electric circuit in a desired manner.

My invention has for its particular object to provide means whereby an electric circuit may be automatically governed as, for example, have its voltage held constant throughout changes in voltage at the source of supply of said circuit.

As my invention is particularly applicable to systems wherein a generator is used to charge a storage battery and supply current to the lamps or other translating devices upon which it is desired to hold a constant voltage, it will be described in connection with such a system.

The drawing is a diagrammatic representation of such a system embodying the es sentials of my invention.

In the drawing 1 represents a dynamo or generator the positive lead 2 of which is connected with one side of the storage battery 3 and one side of the lamps or other translating devices 4. The opposite side of the lamps or translating devices is connected with the lead 5 carried to the regulator 6 from which return is made to the generator and battery as by means of lead 7. The regulator 6 comprises a base or bed casting 8 provided with a depending plate 9 carrying conducting members 10 insulated therefrom as by means of insulating members 11. Against the conducting members 10 are held two sets of piles of contacting electrodes as, for example, carbon disks indicated at 12 which are also in contact with the conducting members 13 carried by screws 14 threaded into insulating bushings 15 supported by the yoke 16 and held in fixed adjustment thereon as by means of jam nuts 17 and in electrical connection with each other as by wire 63. The rod 18 made preferably of non-magnetic material and passes through an aperture in the plate 9 as indicated and is provided with nuts 19 and 20 against which the yoke is loosely held as by spring 21 carried upon the rod 18. 22 is an armature of magnetic material carried by the rod 18 and suspended as by the leaf spring 23 as shown. The opposite end of the rod 18 is suspended as by the leaf spring 24 attached thereto as by screw 64 and has its pull upon the rod adjustable as by screw 25. The springs 23 and 24 tend to move the rod 18 and parts carried thereby in a lefthanded direction so as to decrease the pres sure upon the contacting electrodes 12 while the limit of motion that may be given to the rod in such direction may be governed as by screw 26. 27 is a magnet frame preferably of the iron clad type attached as by screw 28 to the depending portion 29 of the frame. The magnet frame 27 is provided with windings 30 and 31; one end of the winding 30 is connected as by wire 32 with the resistance 33, the other end of which is connected with the wire 2 as by wire 34.

'The opposite end of the winding 30 is connected with the main 5 as by wire 35. 36 represents current controlling means as, for example, a small pile of carbon disks or other contacting electrodes supported as byv the insulating rods 37 and making contact with the disk 38, adjustably supported as by the screw 39. The light metallic frame 40 carries a conducting disk 41 which is in contact with the opposite end of the current-controlling means or pile 36 and normally drawn toward the pile so as to compress the same as by spring 42 adjustable as by screw 43. One end of the winding 31 is connected with the wire 32 as by wire 44, while the other end of said winding is connected with the screw 39 as by wire 45. The conducting-disk 41 is connected with the main 5 as by wire 46. 47 is a light wire serving as a sag wire connected with the conducting-disk 41 as by hook 48 and insulated therefrom as indicated. 49 is a clamp for holding one end of the wire 47 in a fixed position and the other end of the wire 47 is held by the clamp 50 carried by the spring 51 adjustable as by screw 52. 54 represents a taut wire held at one end by the clamp 55 carried by the spring 56 and adjustable as by screw 57. The opposite end of the wire 54 is held in the clamp 53 carried by the spring 65 normally tending to draw the same downwardly. The spring 65 is provided with an adjustable screw 62 limiting the downward motion of the spring 51. The clamp 49 is connected as by wire 58 with one end of the resistance 59, the other end of which is connected with the lead 5 as by wire 60. The spring 51 is connected with the lead 2 as by the wire 61.

The operation of my improved electric regulator is substantially as follows:

If the generator be considered in operation at the proper voltage, current will flow from the generator through the lead 2 to the battery 3 and lamps or translating devices 4 from which return is made through the lead 5, regulator 6 and lead 7 which is connected to the negative side of the storage battery 3 and the generator 1. Current flowing through the regulator 6 may be considered as entering the lower conducting member 10, then passing through the lower carbon disks 12 to the member 13, thence through wire 63 to upper member 13 and upper carbon disks 12 and conducting member 10 to line. Therefore, the voltage impressed upon the lamps or translating devices 4 may be governed by the pressure exerted upon the carbon disks 12. Current will also flow from the lead 2 through wire 34, resistance 33, wire 32, winding 30 and wire 35 to the lead 5. This will cause the armature 22 to be attracted toward the magnet frame 27 against the action of springs 23 and 24 and exert pressure upon the carbon disks 12 through the instrumentality of the rod 18 and yoke 16, the pressure upon the carbon piles being equalized owing to the ability of the yoke 16 to rock pivotally upon the ball nut 20. I now so ad ust the nuts 19 and 20 that the air gap between the armature 22 and magnet frame 27 is small and a very heavy pressure is exerted upon the carbon disks 12 reducing their resistance to a minimum.

Current will also tend to flow from the wire 32 through wire 44, winding 31, wire 45, current-controlling means 36 and wire 46 to the main 5 and as this circuit is in shunt to the winding 30 any current flowing therethrough will tend to weaken the current in the winding 30 and decrease the pressure upon the disks 12 and this action is further augmented by the winding 31 which 1S wound so as to oppose the winding 30. Therefore, the pressure upon the disks 12 will depend upon the resistance of the small current-controlling means or carbon pile 36. Current will flow from the lead 2 through wire 61 to spring 51 and thence through wire 47 to clamp 49, wire 58, resistance 59 and wire 60 to the lead 5. This current may be adjusted by properly adjusting the resistance 59 and will be a function of the voltage across the translation circuit. The currentfiowing through the wire 47 will cause the same to be heated and to expand in such manner as to allow the spring 42 to move the metallic frame 40 in a left-handed direction and compress and reduce the resistance the normal at which it is desired that the regulator 6 should hold it. I now so adjust the screws 62 and 57 that the screw 62 will rest against the bottom of the spring 51 and prevent said spring from moving downwardly and holding the wire 47 taut. Then by properly adjusting the screws 57 and 62 I allow the wire 47 to slacken and the spring 42 to reduce the resistance of the varia le resistance or pile 36 until the current flowing through said pile and winding 31 shall, by weakening the attractive effect of the winding 30, reduce the pressure upon the carbon disks 12 in such manner that the proper voltage is impressed upon the translating devices 4. Now, if thevoltage across the-translating devices shall rise slightly, the current flowing through the wire 47 will increase and cause the length of the said wire to increase and the pressure upon the carbon disks 36 to increase and thus decrease the pressure upon the said disks in such manner as to hold the voltage upon the translating devices from any further rise. If, however, the voltage shall tend to fall, current in the wire 47 will lessen and the said wire will contract and cause the resistance 36 to increase and the current flowing therethrough to decrease and the winding 30 to increase the pressure upon the car'- bons 12 so as to decrease the resistance thereof in such manner as to hold the voltage on the translating circuit constant. As the spring 65 normally tends to lower the screw 62 against the action of the wire 54 the position of said screw will depend to some extent upon the temperature of the wire 54 which, by being placed near the wire 47, will be subjected to the same temperature changes except those caused by current flowing through said wire at a given time-that is, if the atmosphere around the wire 47 becomes heated owing to the heat given off by the said wire, this heat in addition to that caused by the current flowing through the wire at a given instant, would tend to cause the same to expand to a greater length than it would in a cooler atmosphere. However, this heated atmosphere surrounding the wire 47 will also affect the wire 54 and cause the same to expand and lower the screw 62 in such manner that the wire 47 will have to expand further before any sag will take place therein. In practice, I surround both wires with a suitable housing (not shown) so as to prevent the temperature of the wires being changed by drafts and then the differences in temperature of the atmosphere immediately surrounding the wires is easily compensated for within reasonable limits as above described. If, after the operation as above described, the voltage across the translation devices shall fall below the normal and below that which the regulator 6 is able, by withdrawal of resistance, to hold at the normal-for example, if the generator and batteries shall have fallen in voltage quite below the normal discharge voltage of the battery, or should the translation circuit be broken, then contraction of the wire 47 beyond that necessary to increase the resistance 36 to the maximum will not cause the wire 47 to be broken, but will simply cause the spring 51 to be deflected in an upward direction and when the proper voltage is again applied to the wire 4L7 the same will expand and the spring 51 will be brought in contact with the screw 62 and then further rise in voltage will cause a sag in the wire 47 and an increased resistance at disks 12 in such manner as to. hold the voltage across the translation circuit constant as above described. It will be obvious that any means capable'of varying the resistance of the current-controlling means 36 in a desired manner may be substituted for the sag wire device herein illustrated and described, and that the operation of the regulator 6 will be the same provided the resistance 36 be properly manipulated regardless of how such manipulation-be accomplished. The hot wire device herein illustrated is merely one of the forms preferred by me for this purpose.

I do not wish to limit myself in any way to any of the exact details shown in the accompanying drawing which is used merely to illustrate one form of electric regulator comprehending the essentials of my invention which are as set forth in the followin claims: a

1. An electric circuit comprising translating devices, a regulator in said circuit, electro-magnetic means for operating the regulator, and means for controlling the operating means comprising a resistance medium and an operating element therefor adapted to expand and contract upon temperature changes therein, and means for resiliently supporting said element, said element being connected so as to be affected by conditions in the circuit.

2. An electric circuit comprising translating devices, a regulator in series therewith, means for operating the regulator, means for controlling the operating means comprising a resistance medium and an operating element in shunt with the translating devices, said element being adapted to expand and contract with changes in temperature therein and to be affected by conditions in said circuit, and means for resiliently supporting said element.

3. An electric circuit comprising translating devices, a regulator comprising resistance elements in series with said devices, electromagnetic means comprising a coil for varying the effect of said elements, said coil being connected across said circuit, electromagnetic means comprising a coil in shunt with the first coil and adapted to oppose the same, resistance elements in circuit with said second coil, and an element in shunt with said translating devices and adapted to expand and contract in response to temperature changes therein, for varying the effect of said second-named resistance elements according to conditions in said circuit.

4. An electric circuit comprising a regulator, and controlling means therefor including resistance elements, a yieldingly mounted frame to exert pressure on said elements, and an elongated member supported at its ends and connected to said frame intermediate said ends, said member being connected across said circuit and being adapted to expand and contract in response to temperature changes therein to govern said elements in accordance with conditions in said circuit.

5. An electric circuit comprising a regulator and controlling means therefor including resistance elements, a yieldingly mounted frame to exert pressure thereon, an elongated member united to said frame between its ends, and means for fixedly mounting one end of said member and resiliently mounting the other, said member being connected across the circuit and being adapted to expand and contract with temperature changes therein to govern said elements according to conditions in said circuit.

6. An electric circuit having translating devices, a regulator in series therewith, an electromagnetic coil to operate the regulator connected across the circuit, a second electromagnetic coil in shunt with the first coil to oppose the effect thereof, a resistance in series with the second coil, and means for governing said resistance comprising a member resiliently mounted at one end and connected across said devices, said member being adapted to expand and contract with temperature changes therein to affect said resistance according to conditions in said circuit.

JOHN L. CREVELING.

Witnesses G. HALL, M. Hnnsxovrrz. 

